The annual “5K Ruck March for Them” was held on Sept. 30 at the Waverly Glen Park in Waverly, N.Y. The event was hosted by the Tioga County Veterans’ Services Agency.
Upwards of 100 people registered for the fourth annual event. Each participant was asked to wear a ruck, or backpack, with 22 pounds of weight in it, and which represents the 22 veterans and military members lost each day to suicide. The event coincided with the last day of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Participants gathered near the Waverly Park amphitheater prior to the march, and had the opportunity to visit representatives at tables set up by the Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and the Twin Tier Honor Flight Network. To reach out for assistance from the Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency, call (607) 687-8228 or email Mike to middaughm@tiogacountyny.gov. (JoAnn R. Walter Photo)
Participants gathered near the park’s amphitheater to register and pick up their Ruck for Them tee shirts, and were also welcomed to take part in visiting representatives at tables set up by the Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and the Twin Tiers Honor Flight Network.
Participants were also invited to wear a sticker, and each sticker bearing the name of a veteran or military member that completed suicide.
parted Waverly Glen Park and followed a route throughout the Village of Waverly. Each participant was asked to wear a ruck, or backpack, with 22 pounds of weight in it to represent the 22 veterans and military members lost each day to suicide. (JoAnn R. Walter Photo)
Prior to the march, individuals recited the Pledge of Allegiance together and also shared in a moment of silence.
Michael Middaugh, director of the Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency, addressed the participants, stating, “We lose 22 veterans each day to suicide, and that’s about 660 each month.”
One individual spoke up, “It’s too many,” and Middaugh concurred, “Yes, it is too many.”
From left, Sean and Rick Neild, along with Mark Standinger, pose for a photo prior to stepping off for the “5K Ruck March for Them”, which departed Waverly Glen Park and traveled a route around the Village of Waverly on Sept. 30. The three family members participated in honor of Captain Timothy Neild, an Afghanistan Veteran and Bronze Star Recipient who completed suicide in October of 2017, and to raise awareness of traumatic brain injury and mental health. (JoAnn R. Walter Photo)
Middaugh continued, “It affects every community across the country,” and added, “We have family members here today representing veterans they have lost.”
The 5K Ruck March for Them route started inside the park, and then traveled 3.1-miles, encompassing a route along several streets in the Village of Waverly.
The Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency, located in the Ronald E. Dougherty County Office Building at 56 Main St. in Owego, is a point of contact for veterans, active duty, guard and reserves, as well as their families and caregivers. The Agency helps navigate the often-complex chain of veteran resources and services.
One important initiative that the agency is involved with, the “Stop 22 – Share the Struggle,” is a Dwyer Peer Support Program established by the State of New York.
“5K Ruck March for Them” participants started out on their 3.1-mile march, which took them through Waverly Glen Park and then followed a route throughout the Village of Waverly. (JoAnn R. Walter Photo)
Kristine Gardner, director of the Schuyler County Veterans’ Service Agency, took part in the Waverly Glen 5K Ruck for Them. Gardner, a U.S. Navy Veteran, noted that she has found the Dwyer Program extremely beneficial in assisting veterans. Veteran community members meet with fellow members in comfortable settings, and then help them cope with issues caused during or exacerbated by their military service.
Gardner remarked that the support between counties has been rewarding, too, such as the Tioga and Schuyler County connection, and that she has also found, “I am a resource for women veterans who find it easier to talk to other women veterans.”
One family who attended the march was the Neild family. Rick Neild and his son, Sean, along with brother-in-law Mark Standinger, met up together to march in honor of Captain Timothy Neild, an Afghanistan Veteran and Bronze Star Recipient who completed suicide in October of 2017 following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mental health struggles. The mission of their group, “Team Timmy,” is to raise awareness of TBI’s and mental health, along with sharing veteran resources. You can find Team Timmy on Facebook.
Live music and a pig roast concluded the 5K Ruck March for Them event. To reach out for assistance from the Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency, call (607) 687-8228 or email Mike at middaughm@tiogacountyny.gov.
Be the first to comment on "‘5K Ruck March for Them’ raises awareness of veteran suicide"